Archery Parcours Schlagl

The Schlagl parcours is managed by Gashof Westermayer, close to Gloggnitz. To reach it, exit the highway towards Gloggnitz and continue in the direction of Wechselgebiet. You have to turn twice and follow the green sign “Wechselgebiet”. Afterwards, drive uphill for 4 km along several curves, and after you enter Wechselgebiet, turn left into the parking in front of the Westermayer hotel. There, you pay the parcours fee and are ready to go. The small practice range is right behind the hotel, and there is a bigger one below, on the big meadow. From there, you go until the end of the meadow and turn right into the forest to see the first target. The majority of the parcours is well marked with red-white tape, but you really have to search on several occasions. Develop that tracking skill and whatnot. One of the targets is accompanied by a description of the animal and even a suitable recipe.

Initially, you will go through the forest until you reach a dirt road. You follow it until the fork towards the meadow, and then enter the forest again. You do not really need hiking shoes, but some places could be slippery when wet. Furthermore, some shooting positions require a good grip on the sole, so that you don’t fall down. The parcours is very nicely done, usually with local animals. The most favoured animals are a wood grouse and a reindeer, and you will not find any games such as dinosaurs or moving targets. You can retrieve your arrows easily and the road is pleasant to navigate, with the exception of some muddy places. At several times you can enjoy a beautiful vista over the Wechselgebiet and even the Höllental castle, which is a very nice hiking area. In the middle of the parcours, there is a small hut with benches. You will also see it during the second third of your route.

It is highly unlikely to lose arrows because the really hard targets are secured with good backstops or natural earth walls. Nevertheless, you can still break an arrow if you hit a random root or stone. All in all, the parcours is beginner and family friendly. Afterwards, you can strengthen yourself and enjoy the sun in the garden of the Westermayer hotel. This stretch of the highway has heavy traffic during weekends, especially motorcyclists, which can be heard here and there while you go. This somewhat spoils the absolute silence in the forest, but the wonderful view and the nice shots more than compensate for it.

Hint: the parcours is also open during winter weekends. As an alternative to driving, you can take the train to Gloggnitz and from there ride the bus to Schlagl. The bus stop is directly in front of Westermayer hotel.